Here is another good review article on regulatory T cells:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 2308.x/pdf
So, from all of the information I have provided in this thread it looks like the following may be true of multiple sclerocis:
1. MS is caused by a defect in the regulatory T lymphocyte function, in particular the master control gene FOXP3.
2. There are certain pro-inflamitory T-cells that target autoatigens within the central nervous system such as meylin basic protein. Usually, a regulatory T-cell of the same phenotype in a healthy subject will prevent an autoimune response on this tissue.
This is why people with a defective blood brain barrier but a healthy regulatory T-Cell function do not acquire multiple sclerosis.
3. In a normal person, natural regulatory T-cells (nTregs) are developed in the thymus. However, induced regulatory T-cells (iTregs) can be developed outside of the thymus, and it appears vitamin D plays a key role in iTreg development.
Here is another article with additional information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... 5-0001.pdf
This is a topic that is being heavilly researched by immunologists.
The vast majority of these researchers are working on not for profit grants, so in my opinion it is very disrespectful to label these people as being pawns of the drug companies and are only doing this for their own financial gain.
Thousands of people are working on this aspect of the immune system, and I for one would like to thank them for their hard work.